Cape Verde Kakula Kwisamba pa Makarte—Ikangana pa Minga ya Morna

Ndeke yafiki ku Praia Airport pa kisanga kya Santiago, ne Cape Verde kakukupangila na ba nzanza minene. Panze pa windo: bilundu bibishi bya mukala, lupupo lwekane ne kumweka padi. Kintu kileke kikuleja pa kwikala kwadi ukafiki nkufuma pa nsasa ino ukatambuka kufika panze pa terminal — ndinga. Mukulu umune mushale pa lupango lupela, ukwata gitare yakunyanyuka. Mwanda kwashi bukekeshi bwa kalunga mu minga; kulanya kwakunyunyuka, anka mutemo we na bubine.

Diwi dya Cesária Évora difuma ku radio ya taxi. Wafwide mu 2011, anka mu Cape Verde diwi dyandi didi munyima kupita mabwela onso a bandeke. Mukwata-taxi ulombola ku radio na muswe wandi, usapula kintu mu Portuguese musangukye na Creole — kankamene diwi dyonso, anka namwene lupao mudimo. Morna, wasapula. Panyima wanyungulusha volime kushika peulu.

Cape Verde ishala pakatwa pankama ishinda na makumi abidi na kimye kya kilometre 570 ku lupeto lwa Senegal mu Atlantic, kisanga dikumi kya milondo ya kapia, bantu pakatwa 600,000. Buloba nbufwanyike bwa bungi bwine bwa kumweneka pa makarte a bupiama. Anka shi iwe wavwanyikanapo morna pano napene — ndinga ya lusungu iyema pakachi ka fado ya Portugal ne samba ya Brazil — uyukile amba kino kifuko kakibolwa kumweneka bu kipeela.

Pa bufuku bwami bwa ntanshi mu dibungu dya Mindelo, nafwile mu bar itamine amba Cafe Musica. Bipupa byafwimbilwe na katini ka poster ya Cesária Évora, foto ya kipanyi kya football kya kisanga, ne menu isonekwe na kuboko: Cachupa, biya bikashilwe pa kapia, grogue rum. Mwimbi adi mwanamukaji wa mu myaka makumi anayi, kosa-nyendu, meso afungilwe. Minga ya gitare yankulushanga kilaka pa luji mu lupupo luneke, anka takudi muntu washitulukanga. Bakwata-bakolo ba dilobo baiyalanga kukoka bilamba, bainame ku lupango lwa kalunga pa kuteemesha. Mwana mulume mushikeme ku kibelo ukitala — ku binyendo byandi, mupila ya football yanyunyukye.

Difuku dya kulonda naya ku Pico do Fogo. Panshi ya binyendo: mabwe a kapia a mukala, alume ne kubolongoka, panshi ya binete binyanguka bipasula-bipasula. Mulomboledi wasapule amba mushindo wa kapia wakokomoke ku nfudi mu 2014, waonawine miloko ibidi, anka pabwingidile bantu bonso ba miloko abo babweleele. 'Kino kyo kisanga kyetu,' wasapula. 'Musa wa kapia nkwikala naaye naye wa mukalanga — anka shi ulupando abo kufuma kunsambu mwanda mwikala naaye naye na mukalanga wabo.' Kufuma pakachi, kutala peulu pa Atlantic, napashile lumpala lwa ntanshi kyasapula kushala kisanga kya bankunyi kushii ndekelu — pakatwa pashilemeso, takudi kantu anka kalunga ne kalunga kasungula.

Pa Santa Maria Beach mu Sal, bana bakupangilanga mupila na binyendo byabuntu. Mupila wadikile, kipande kyandi kifwile-pafwe, anka mushindo wapashilengamo wadi bu mupika mukwabo wa morna. Shapiti ya mulumi mwana mulumi itala re ya blue yadi ne numbelo ikangikye pa nyuma — ka Messi nyi Ronaldo, anka Ryan Mendes, mutwe wa kumpala wa kipanyi kya nshinta kya Cape Verde. Walombola pa shapiti: 'Wasemnyenwe mu Mindelo. Pamune netu.' Kulee nkanga, ndembelo ya Blue Sharks yanyunganga bulongo-bulongo peulu pa shitolo sha ku nseke.

Bidibwa byadi kifulo kya kumpela. Cachupa — munsumbu wiibilwanga bwikeeya wa ngano, nkunde, bisholwa, ne biya bya kalunga nyi nyama — wabilwanga kufuma pa nsaa isambombo ya mitondo. Ku soko, banamakaji bashalanga pa bipuna byapeela, bakobolokanga ngano na ludu lo kumeso kebalota. Basapwilanga mu Creole, balekanga na kuseka. Mwanamukaji mukulu wapwanga bisholwa wampelengyeke kapu keele ka cachupa, kwa buntu. 'Iya, tala,' wasapule bukeeya mu Portuguese. 'Buta bwa Cape Verde bukebenga kyondo.' Nalekye nsaa ya akisi kukila ino kapu, ne napashile amba kapu uta kyakya pabitale kukenga.

Mu dituku dya kufuma, nabweleele ku Cafe Musica mu Mindelo. Bar adi kaipo kijulwe. Lupupo lwa kalunga lwasunsumwine poster wa kala ku kibelo. Kulee, elaka ya ferry yadingikile mu dibungu. Bena-mukuna umune wendanga na mbwa yandi wapitile, wammone nkitala poster ya Cesária Évora, ne weimine. Mu English wasapule: 'Uyukile diwi dyandi dya kutumbisha bwine? Sodade — lusungu lushii kibumbo.' Panyuma wapite. Naimene kumpala kwa dibungu dikwete, na napashile mpatupatu bulamba bwa morna: Cape Verde kebuloba bubolwa kusobolwa na karte. Bwe bubolwa kumanyikwa na ndinga, na buta, na lupupo lwa kalunga. Nansha bu sodade ayo mwine — uyukile amba ipwapo, anka t'ubolwa kusapula kibumbo kikwete.